1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to engine-driven welding machines, and more particularly to apparatus for servicing the electric storage batteries of engine-driven welding machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electric storage batteries for engine-driven welding machines pose two conflicting requirements. On one hand, the batteries must be protected from the dirt and hard usage of welding environments. On the other hand, the batteries must be easily accessible for servicing when required.
Prior attempts to solve the dual battery requirements on engine-driven welding machines have met with mixed success. One prior way of handling a battery was to place it on an L-shaped bracket that slid in slots along the machine base. A vertical plate on the bracket covered an opening in a wall of the machine. Pulling the bracket from the machine simultaneously uncovered the opening in the machine wall and exposed the battery for servicing. Pushing the bracket back into the machine covered the wall opening and placed the battery safely inside the machine. That prior battery handling design was not entirely satisfactory. In addition to being undesirably expensive, it also permitted the entire bracket and battery to be pulled completely out of the machine such that they could fall on the floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,470 shows an exemplary battery box for engine-driven welding machines. The battery box of that patent is selectively slidable to expose and conceal the battery. It has the advantage of being positively limited in its sliding motions such that it always remains within the machine base. It is therefore necessarily only to slide the battery box between its two end positions to expose and conceal the battery.
Despite the present availability of different designs for handling engine-driven welding machine batteries, there nevertheless is room for further improvement.